


Ready or Not.

by benshearingaid



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23222782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benshearingaid/pseuds/benshearingaid
Summary: ready or not, here i come, gonna find you....Detective Inspector Highway.A murder.A ton of suspects.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

Callum Highway stepped out of the car, clearing his throat and trying his best to stifle a yawn. It had been a long shift already and it was only thirty minutes into his working day. The coffee he'd quickly drank at the breakfast table hadn't yet ignited it's caffeine in his veins and he was most definitely counting down the minutes until his next cup. It always felt wrong to be up and awake when the sky was still pitch black outside and the television was showing re-runs with the sign language person at the bottom right of the screen. Callum always wondered why they're only on at this time. Do deaf people not sleep? Do they only watch things at silly o'clock? Same as the tele-shopping. Do people only buy weird shit they don't need at stupid times? 

"Morning." He spoke to his partner and was greeted with a simple nod. "What we got?" He asked, walking forwards to the scene. The drama.  
"Young, male. Gunshot wound. Some wounds to the face, old. Seems to have been in a fight a few days ago." Ray Little read from his notes. 

Ray, a shorter man aged in his late forties was a charmer. With everyone. Men, women, young, old. He could get answers out of anyone. He always smelt like he'd taken a bath in aftershave and his goatee was always neat and tidy. He definitely needed reading glasses but would never admit it, preferring to squint his way through his paperwork at the end of every shift.

"Anything else?" Callum asked. He was the younger of the two and hadn't been in the job as long as Ray but he'd worked his way to detective rather quickly. Ray shook his head as they approached the victim.

The first tram of the morning shuddered across the tracks above them, making a whole lot of noise in the tunnel. It was dark and dreary, the sky full of rain.  
"We best get hurrying, before the weather ruins our crime scene. And our evidence." Ray spoke to a uniformed police officer who nodded and lifted the crime scene tape up for them to step underneath.  
"Do we have an ID on the victim?" Callum asked, peering over at the dead body in front of him. 

As Ray had said, the victim is young. Aged around early twenties. Wearing a leather jacket and jeans and a pair of lace up boots. 

Ray shook his head. "He's got his phone on him and that's about it. Few quid in his pockets and a set of house keys but no ID." Ray nodded towards the items in an evidence bag on the floor.

It was early, probably just getting near to 6am and Albert Square was coming to life.  
The street lamps were beginning to turn off as the sky got lighter and the birds were starting to sing. 

"Any sign of the murder weapon?" Ray asked another uniformed officer who shook his head in response. "Swear these guys are scared of me. No one answers me with words." He murmured. Callum smirked.  
"You are quite intimidating, mate." He shrugged. Ray faked shock pain to the chest as Callum's words rang out.

"Rigby, what's the story?" Callum asked, squatting beside the medical examiner at the scene.  
James Rigby, an older man with white hair, a bushy moustache and small round glasses looked up from his clipboard and sighed, clicking the top of his pen.  
"Well... cause of death, gun shot wound, unsurprising. Through and through so we'll have to locate the bullet. Time of death, I'd estimate to be between 3 and 3.30am. As you've mentioned, Ray, not much on him in terms of personal belongings." Rigby handed the evidence bags to Callum who had thankfully already put rubber gloves on.  
"We need to find out who this guy is. I'd say he lives locally." Ray said, looking around.  
"Surely these businesses will be open soon." He said, nodding towards the lines of shops surrounding them. "Maybe they'll give us some sort of clue who this guy is." 

The crime scene photographers snapped away, taking photos of the body and the evidence, the flashes from the camera lighting up the tunnel.  
"Guys from the morgue will be here soon. Probably best before we get any crowds gathering." Ray said, glancing down at his watch.  
"Cheers, Rigs." Callum patted the older man on the shoulder and walked away from the body. 

A faint whistling was heard, getting closer and closer.  
"Oh, what do we have here?" A voice now. Callum turned, seeing a male walking closer to the crime scene.  
"I'm sorry, Sir. You can't be here, this is an active crime scene." Callum stepped forwards.  
"Sir? Oh, I like that...."  
Callum felt his cheeks redden.  
"And anyway, Mr Officer, I am behind the tape." The man used his hands to show he was indeed not crossing the barrier.  
He was smirking.  
It made Callum uncomfortable.  
"And... you are?" Ray asked, stepping closer and pulling his notebook and pen from his inside pocket.  
"Who is asking?" The man stuck his chin out, in an attempt to look 'hard'.  
"DI Little, and this is DI Highway. We're investigating a murder so any help you can give us is appreciated."  
"Ben Mitchell...." Ben's voice drifted as he realised the seriousness of the situation. He glanced over the shoulders of the two men, squinting to see who was lay dead on the ground. 

"That's Keanu... Keanu Taylor." He said, his face serious and suddenly pale.


	2. Neon Sign.

Callum traced his finger over the pattern on the plastic table cloth in front of him, momentarily letting his mind switch off for a second.  
It felt nice.  
Welcomed. 

"Here you go, loves." A woman placed three coffees down onto the table from a plastic tray.  
"Thanks, Mum." Ben said, distracted.  
"I'm Kathy Beale. I own the place." She seemed warm, friendly. She offered a handshake to both men.  
"Thank you for opening up early for us, Mrs Beale. That's very kind of you." Ray replied, smiling.  
Kathy scoffed. "Please, call me Kathy. It's what it says in neon, right there!" She pointed towards the sign in the window, pink and bright, even at almost half past six in the morning. "I'll be over there, if you need anything. Just give me a shout." She patted Ben's shoulder softly and gave a small smile before turning and heading towards the counter, spraying everything with disinfectant before she opened the cafe officially for the day.

Callum stared down at the brown liquid in his mug, placing his hands around it for warmth. His fingers were slightly numb but that was to be expected in early December.  
The special board on the wall already offered turkey and cranberry sandwiches for £3.50. London prices made Callum shudder.  
Christmas.  
Something that seemed so far away, despite being a matter of weeks.  
Something Keanu Taylor wouldn't see.  
Callum suddenly felt a bit sick.  
This was the worst part of the job. The murders, seeing family members crumble at hearing the news, suspecting people who were completely innocent, losing time, not getting answers, not getting a conviction. 

"So, Mr Mitchell, you know Keanu Taylor well?" Ray began, once again getting his notepad from his pocket.  
Ben nodded slowly, tracing his thumb around the rim of his mug, staring down into it, rocking the mug slightly to make the coffee move in waves.  
"Yeah..." He managed.  
He seemed like he'd usually be trouble but the news of Keanu's murder had really knocked him for six.  
Callum made a mental note of that.  
"He's... he's dating my sister. She's pregnant with his kid." Ben scratched at his chin, the thought of her finding out the news probably making him uneasy.  
"And her name is?" Ray asked.  
"Louise." Ben watched as Ray scribbled it down. "But she ain't the one who's done this. I can tell ya that. She wouldn't harm a fly. She's a good girl." Ben's voice suddenly raised, making Callum jump. He looked up to see Ben pointing a finger at Ray, his eyes angry.  
"We'll have to make enquires, Mr Mitchell. Anything Louise can tell us could be of importance. She may know who could've possibly done this to Mr Taylor." Callum tried to play good cop. Soothe the man.  
Ben nodded, seemingly taking Callum's words in. 

"Did he _have_ any enemies that you know of?" Ray asked, looking up.  
Ben shook his head, picking up his mug and placing it to his lips, not saying another word.  
"Are you sure?" Callum asked.  
Ben shot him a look.  
"You sayin' I'm lyin'?" He seemed on edge. Jumpy. Suspicious.  
"Not at all but it's vital we find out everything now. Rather than later." Ray jumped in.  
"Who is sayin' this is someone he knows, anyway? Could've been a muggin'. Could've been kids." Ben shrugged, his voice cracking slightly.  
Ray nodded. "You're right. It could've been either. But that's why we're here. To find the answers. Not to judge you or accuse you of anything." Callum said.  
Ben nodded, clearing his throat.  
"But Mr Taylor was still in possession of his phone and some money so..." Ray added.  
Ben looked up, not entirely sure what to take from that comment.

Callum picked up the sugar container and tipped some into his mug. It came out faster than he anticipated. He silently cursed himself.  
"Do you boys want anything to eat? Free of charge, of course." Kathy appeared again, possibly sensing the hostility from her son.  
"No, thank you." Callum smiled. Ray shook his head.  
"So, can I ask what's happened? I don't mind you talking to my son but I'd like to know what this is all about." Kathy's brow was furrowed.  
Ray and Callum looked at each other.  
"There's been a murder. On the Square. That's all we can say at the moment." Ray offered, smiling to pacify the older woman.  
"A murder?! On my Square?!"  
"Oh, come off it, Mother. It's hardly a rare occurrence, is it?" Ben snapped.  
"Did either of you hear a gunshot at any point last night? The Square is rather small so any information is key. Help us to... establish a timeline." Ray jumped in, pen poised above his notepad to write their answers.  
"Detective, this is the East End. You never quite know whether you're hearing fireworks or gunshots around here." Kathy laughed but quickly stopped, realising the severity of the matter.  
"Who? Who... is dead?" Kathy ignored her son, directing the question to the detectives.  
"Keanu." Ben answered for them.  
Kathy's hands made their way to her face in the same pose as Macaulay Culkin had on the DVD cover for Home Alone.  
"My god, you're joking. Karen is going to be distraught." 

"Karen?" Callum quizzed.

"Yes, Karen Taylor. Keanu's Mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk if anyone is even enjoying this or if it's a bit rubbish but there you go. 
> 
> these are quite short chapters initially to try and get some grit going.
> 
> let me know if you're liking it though, i love to read comments x

**Author's Note:**

> Did you enjoy this? Do I continue it? 
> 
> I had sudden inspiration. I dunno, help. 
> 
> Please leave comments x


End file.
